Internal discontent is growing - may force Biden to resign

 

Wolfgang Hansson 

They can take over if Biden is forced to give up - seven possible candidates 

 

Published: Less than 40 min ago 

 

This is a commenting text. Analysis and positions are the writer's. 

 

COLUMNISTS 

 

Last week, President Joe Biden went on a campaign tour to help Democratic candidates in the midterm elections, but also to test his own stocks ahead of 2024. 

 

There is great uncertainty about whether Biden will run for re-election or not. 

 

There is no shortage of eager contenders, but the Democrats have no other obvious "frontrunner" to throw in. 

 

Shortly after the presidential election in 2024, Biden turns 82. The United States has never had such an elderly president. If he runs for re-election, he will be 86 when he has to retire. 

 

Can he take it? Does he want to? 

 

Biden himself says that it is his "intention" to run, but even now there are many within the Democratic Party who worry about Biden's health and intellectual capacity. 

 

It doesn't help that the president often jogs onto the stage when he has to give a speech or exercise on his mountain bike. 

 

Many think he seems confused or shows signs of dementia. Or that he is simply too old.

 

 

US President Joe Biden. US President Joe Biden. Photo: Evan Vucci/AP 

 

In a recent poll reported by CNN, 75 percent of Democratic voters say they want the party to nominate a candidate other than Biden in 2024. That is a substantial increase compared to before. It's not just about Biden's health. 

 

He is also unusually unpopular as president after less than two years in power. The recent successes of the climate measures approved by the Congress and the liquidation of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri have given him some tailwind. Despite that, only 42 percent of Americans think he is doing a good job. 

 

No high numbers for a president who will try to be re-elected. 

 

If the Democrats lose power in Congress in the midterm elections in November, it will be even more difficult for Biden to get his policies through. 

 

The problem for the Democrats is that there is no obvious replacement with a good chance of victory. 

 

No success 

 

    *Vice President Kamala Harris, 57, should be the given choice but she is not. She has not made any success as vice president. Her popularity numbers are even lower than Biden's. 

 

     What's worse, she is both female and black. Breaking two glass ceilings at once will not be easy. 

 

The starting field in 2020 was unusually weak. But there are some names that are still mentioned in the preliminary speculations.

 

 

US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is mentioned as one of the contenders. Photo: Jerker Ivarsson 

 

    *Pete Buttigieg, 40. He is transport minister in the Biden government but is otherwise fairly inexperienced. He is married to a man who might as well be black about the foot in the conservative United States. 

 

    *Bernie Sanders, 80, has not ruled out a second run. Appears to be significantly more vital than Biden even though they are the same age. Was Biden's main challenger in the 2020 primaries but is far to the left. 

 

Perhaps more likely is that it will be one of the governors mentioned in the preliminary discussions. 

 

    *J B Pritzker, 57. Governor of Illinois who has the advantage of sitting on a large fortune. His starting distance is therefore short. He has already visited the state of New Hampshire, which, along with Iowa, is the first state in the primary cycle and often determines who wins the candidacy in the end. 

 

 

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Photo: Mike Householder/AP 

 

    *Gretchen Whitmer, 51. Governor of Michigan who is nationally known not least for the plans a far-right organization had to kidnap her. 

 

Against the party 

 

     *Jared Polis, 47. Governor of Colorado who refused to toe the Democratic line during the coroapandemic with widespread shutdowns. He ran more on Trump's line of keeping society open. Enables him to attract even conservative voters. He is also openly gay. 

 

Then there is a popular name that they are constantly speculated about but which still has to be considered unlikely. 

 

      *Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 33. Sits in the House of Representatives, which is not usually a good springboard for presidential candidates. She can stand in the presidential election in 2024 because she will turn 35 then. Normally, a candidate this young doesn't stand a chance, but Ocasio-Cortez has a strong and vocal following. 

 

      She is on the far left of the party, which is another reason why her chances must be considered small. But she is definitely a topping calf in the party. 

 

 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP 

 

The list of names can be made longer. With this much time left, a lot can happen that changes the conditions. 

 

To begin with, it will be decisive whether Biden runs or not. He is expected to keep his message as long as possible. If Donald Trump runs, the chances increase that Biden will too. 

 

Biden stated as the reason in 2020 that he wanted to prevent Trump from getting four more years as president. The same driving force may apply in 2024. 

 

If Biden chooses to run again, no Democrat will challenge him. A sitting president can decide for himself whether he wants to stand for re-election. 

 

But if the party feels it is headed for a certain loss with Biden in the driver's seat, the pressure on him to step aside will be strong.